The controversy that has erupted between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the impact of the floodwaters discharged from the Polavaram project on Bhadrachalam and some other villages is a part of the political game being played by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), BJP national vice-president D.K. Aruna has alleged.
The problem would be resolved only if the BJP was voted to power, Ms. Aruna said while addressing the media here on Saturday.
“As far as the BJP is concerned, it has been demanding that the villages facing submergence due to the Polavaram project be merged with Telangana in tune with the people’s wish,” Ms. Aruna said.
Some of the villages had access only from the Andhra Pradesh side and there were no basic amenities. “There is neither a change nor any ambiguity in the BJP’s stand,” she added.
The TRS and the YSRCP had a “clear understanding” about the Polavaram and Kaleshwaram projects, she said. The two parties were known for using such contentious issues to their advantage during the elections and forget them later, she observed.
Commenting on the future of the BJP in Telangana, Ms. Aruna exuded confidence that it would come to power in 2024. “The people of the State are completely upset over the failures of the TRS government,” she said.
“People know well that the Telangana they dreamt of will become a reality only when the BJP replaces the family-centric TRS government,” she asserted.
‘Daunting task for Y.S. Sharmila’
On Y.S. Sharmila’s foray into politics in Telangana, Ms. Aruna said winning the elections would be a daunting task for her.
“The Telangana sentiment continues to be strong, and people will not easily believe someone like Ms. Sharmila, who has founded a party primarily due to differences in her family and various other reasons,” Ms. Aruna said.
Basically, Ms. Sharmila had never thrown her weight behind the demand for Statehood to Telangana. People were conscious of it, and would not support her just because she claimed to be born and brought up in Telangana.
